As a small business owner, you know that having reliable IT support can be critical for the successful operation of your business. Unfortunately, between cost and time considerations, you may feel it’s not the right time to hire an in-house IT team or continue tasking the task yourself. Luckily, there is another option – outsourcing your IT support to a dedicated service provider. Here are some of the advantages of outsourcing managed IT services for small businesses.
The Benefits of Outsourcing Small Business IT Services
Services from Expert Managed IT Services
Be honest for a moment; how knowledgeable and comfortable are you with the intricacies of small business IT services? Maybe you can back up your computer, but do you know how to set up encrypted email programs, perform dark web monitoring, or understand how to perform DNS filtering? If any of those words went above your head, there is nothing to be ashamed of.
Like with every industry sector, there are people who do this day in and day out. They are the people who should be providing your small business with IT support rather than the nephew who is savvy with computers. By outsourcing IT support, you have access to industry experts who have obtained extensive experience in the field, pursue ongoing education, and are well-versed in every aspect of managed IT services you need to be performed. You can rest assured that you have up-to-date solutions which are tailored specifically to meet your specific business needs.
Access to the Latest IT Support Technology
We live in a digital age that is constantly innovating and building stronger support systems. As a small business, your team is unlikely to have access to the latest technology or know how to use it without any prior training. Rather than attempting to learn how to process these highly technical IT programs, update to new technology as it is released, and do it all right on the first try, you can rely on your outsourced IT team to do it for you.
Minimization of Extra Costs
Outsourcing IT services can offer significant cost savings over hiring internal staff or purchasing the latest technology solutions. Due to the fact that an outsourced IT provider has multiple clients, they have the scale to provide their services and related materials at a lower cost than a single organization operating alone. They have every program, and the skills to use them, to ensure your business’s IT services are managed appropriately.
Higher Security & Compliance
IT security is essential for any business, but implementing and maintaining complex network security measures can be difficult for those with limited technical knowledge. An outsourced provider can conduct regular security audits and update security software as needed so that your system remains secure. They are also able to detect external threats more quickly since they monitor all clients’ systems on a continuous basis.
In addition, many small businesses must meet specific IT requirements to stay within compliance with their industry. Even if you are an expert in your field, the technical security aspects of compliance may go far beyond your knowledge, but that is something you can never skimp out on. Small business IT services are well versed in keeping your organization within compliance regulations, even as they continue to evolve.
Increased Business Efficiency through IT Support
As every small business owner knows, time is money! When it comes to small business, many solo entrepreneurs or small teams where many hats – research, development, accounting, marketing, communication, and more. Outsourcing IT provides the benefit of having trained professionals take care of complex tasks quickly and effectively without needing technical resources from within your organization – freeing up valuable time for those other crucial tasks that cannot be handled by someone else.
Packages Designed for Your Business Needs
As a small business, your organization will go through chapters of development as it continues to grow. At this point, you may be a small team that needs the above benefits to free up time and resources. In the future, however, you may need more. When organizations outsource processes, they open themselves up to opportunities that expand beyond their existing resources, especially regarding agility and scalability in changing customer demands or industry regulations. When you outsource your IT support, you can relax knowing that they will grow with you, adapting to new needs, and providing consistent support as your business achieves new heights.
IT Haven – Your Partner for IT Solutions
If you are ready to enhance your small business, gain access to the brightest minds and latest technologies, and ensure your organization is protected, you need outsourced managed IT services. At IT Haven in Tri-Cities, WA, we offer security management solutions to ensure that the security of our client’s systems and data is a top priority. We deliver the technical expertise that small businesses need at a far lower expense than hiring an IT staff and without all the wasted hours of trying to do it solo.
At IT Haven, we offer a wide range of IT support services, including anti-virus/anti-malware technology, DNS filtering, email spam filtering, encrypted email, backup and recovery, remote monitoring management, dark web management, HIPAA compliance, and password management.
For a free consultation on how we can elevate your business and to request an estimate, all you have to do is choose a meeting date and time!
Do you inwardly (or outwardly) groan at the thought of yet another video call?
They’re now a normal part of our working lives, but it doesn’t make them any more exciting.
Good news: Microsoft is introducing Metaverse-style avatars, called Mesh avatars, to Teams.
You’ll be able to design your own avatar, personalizing its appearance, accessories, and even choosing its reaction gestures.
According to Microsoft, it’s common for us to feel stressed and exhausted after spending a long time on camera. So using a virtual representation of yourself to reduce that stress is just one application for these new avatars.
Better still, you won’t need an expensive virtual reality headset. It’s all done using the Avatars app that’s available in the Microsoft Teams app store.
Big tech is investing billions on developing the Metaverse – a 3D virtual world that mimics the real world. Within it you’ll find many of the things you’re already familiar with – shops, workplaces, and even social spaces. Some are predicting it will become ‘the new internet’ in the coming years.
It might seem wild to imagine a virtual world like this – but 20 years ago it was hard to imagine routinely having a mobile video calls with someone on the other side of the world.
Times change, and it’s really exciting.
Right now the new avatar feature is only available in the Teams preview build, but we’ll get a general release date soon.
Will you encourage your people to use personalized avatars in Teams? Want to find more ways to make work more fun for your team? We can help. Get in touch.
IT Haven Acquires Computer Troubleshooters of Pittsburgh Franchise
IT Haven has acquired Computer Troubleshooters in response to the owner retiring and to ensure that IT Haven leverages the extensive and expert knowledge of Computer Troubleshooters employees
Richland, WA — IT Haven has acquired Computer Troubleshooters in Pittsburgh, PA after their owner retired, and so IT Haven is able to leverage the two decades of collective experience and knowledge of their employees that will benefit IT Haven clients with unparalleled data management and security.
As a result of this important acquisition, IT Haven will be able to utilize the vast career knowledge of the employees at Computer Troubleshooters. This will ensure that IT Haven clients continue to receive exceptional quality specialized solutions.
IT Haven is renowned in the technology industry for protecting privacy and data for a diverse set of businesses. For example, they provide continuity for companies that includes device backup, cloud suite backup, and workstation backup. IT Haven also offers secure file sharing solutions.
IT Haven also has the expertise and skills to protect data and files for more complicated businesses in the construction and healthcare industries.
For example, for businesses in the construction industry, IT Haven offers customized technical solutions to provide easy access to all of a company’s files, across all devices, without needing an internet connection.
IT Haven is able to ensure that their construction clients’ data is protected from malicious or inadvertent actions, reducing business risk by putting complex tasks in the hands of experts.
IT Haven has implemented technical solutions that greatly improve the workflow and productivity for these construction companies.
For businesses in the healthcare industry, IT Haven’s first-rate solutions are designed to keep clients’ health-related information as confidential as possible. Even though HIPPA may seem complicated, IT Haven has the perfect solution. Their offering gives healthcare companies an all-in-one web-based platform to address their HIPPA compliance with the assistance of an expert Compliance Coach to guide the client every step of the way.
IT Haven is committed to having patient data properly backed up and protected, so medical practitioners can focus on patient care.
IT Haven Services
Among the world-class services that IT Haven provides for its customers are the following:
Premium EDR Services – These EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) services provide companies with the upmost security and ensures they are optimally protected. The main objective of endpoint detection and response is to integrate multiple layers of threat prevention, detection, and response into a single solution.
Security Management Solutions – These solutions keep IT Haven’s clients’ systems and data secure, and they are tailored to fit the unique needs of each individual client. From IT Haven’s hardware to the services they use and implement, they provide an extensive solution that has been strategically engineered to keep their clients’ data secure.In addition, IT Haven keeps up to date with the current threats that are circulating and reviews their solutions in order to maintain the highest level of security for their customers.
Full-Suite Outsourced IT – IT Haven delivers end-to-end full-service IT support to businesses, so they never have to worry about IT issues again.
SASE – SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) is a client’s cloud network. It is wrapped up with high-security protocols to ensure a fast, safe cloud network.
VoIP – IT Haven offers customized phone solutions for business needs with exceptional support and fair pricing.
vCIO Consulting – IT Haven meets regularly with their clients to assess and plan in order to help them grow.
About IT Haven
At IT Haven, we offer specialized solutions, built for each individual company suited for their specific industry. For the industries that require mandated security to maintain their credentials or licensing, such as the healthcare and financial industries, we at IT Haven are knowledgeable and able to implement these requirements.
We take pride in being an important asset to all the companies which we manage by resolving their day-to-day issues, keeping their data safe and secure, increasing productivity, and helping them grow to their highest potential.
While Windows 11 is only just celebrating its first birthday, we’re already hearing our first rumors about what Windows 12 will have in store.
There’s no rush for the time being – we won’t see this new operating system until the back end of 2024 – but we love to be ready for what’s coming next, so here’s what we know so far…
Details are sketchy and as usual; Microsoft is being coy about what it’s planning. But we’ve been digging into how it could look. And it’s… different!
If our research is correct, we’ll see a floating taskbar dock and a search bar taking top-center position. The widgets panel and Action Centre will move to the top of the screen instead of the bottom.
We don’t expect a big change when it comes to hardware requirements, but they’re unlikely to cause the same headaches that arose with the launch of Windows 11. That’s because more PCs will be compatible out of the box.
That said, some of the security hardware required by Windows 11 will likely become more important as Microsoft keeps its focus firmly on security.
Above all, we’re expecting to see more of the stream of minor improvements that make such a big difference to useability. Making Windows 12 stable and bug free will be the number one priority – good news for all business users.
There will undoubtedly be more updates in the coming months. We’ll share the most important ones with you as we hear more from Microsoft.
If you haven’t yet made the move to Windows 11, now could be a great time. We can help with that. So, if you’re thinking about the upgrade, just get in touch.
Microsoft Teams has fast become one of THE most useful business tools for the way we work today.
No matter where your people work from, they can communicate and collaborate quickly and reliably.
But this remote way of working can also open the door to some MAJOR security issues.
New research shows that nearly HALF of employees frequently share confidential and sensitive files via Teams.
That can be a big problem if employees are using personal equipment rather than company issued kit… it’s simply not as secure as work devices.
More than half of people surveyed say they’ve shared ‘business critical’ information using personal devices. Worse still, 48% admitted they’ve accidentally sent files they shouldn’t have – possibly to the wrong person!
So how can you be sure that your people are using Teams in the safest, most secure way?
The solution lies with regular training and cyber security awareness for employees at all levels of your business – from trainee to CEO.
And you need to make sure you have all the right safeguards in place to protect your sensitive business data. Because if it fell into the wrong hands, the results could be an expensive nightmare, potentially with legal consequences. Just imagine if sensitive employee information got shared outside of the business…
Remember, even a trusted app like Teams is only as safe as the people who use it and the devices it’s installed on.
If you need help with cyber security training, or putting the right protections in place, get in touch.
None of your Team would Fall for this Trick… Would They?
Cyber criminals have a reputation for constantly coming up with new ways to scam us into handing over login details or sensitive data.
And while you might think your team would spot an attempted attack, you could be surprised. We’ve seen a lot of intelligent people – including many business leaders – caught out over the years.
One of the latest scams is very retro… and that seems to be why people are falling for it.
Cyber criminals have gone back to basics. They’re sending USB drives in the post.
The packaging and branding on the drives suggests they’re from Microsoft (they are not).
The story is there’s an updated version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus on the drive and it needs to be installed straightaway.
Of course, this is a complete lie. Microsoft has confirmed that these packages aren’t genuine. It’s warning people it would never send out unsolicited packages.
If you plug the drive into your computer, it will detect a “virus” and ask you to call a support line.
The scammers at the other end will pretend to remove the virus, gaining your trust. And then they’ll ask for payment details to help complete your subscription setup.
It’s old fashioned, but we can see how the mixture of the physical USB, the belief it’s from Microsoft and the fake support line would be compelling for someone who’s busy and just wants to get back to work.
We’re expecting elaborate, clever attacks through our email. Our guard is down with this mix of events.
Play it safe and warn everyone in your business about this scam.
This is also a good time to review the software and staff training you use to protect your business.
At IT Haven, we offer specialized solutions, built for each individual Company suited for their specific Industry. For the Industries which require mandated Security to maintain their credentials or licensing, such as the Healthcare and Financial Industries, we at IT Haven are knowledgeable and able to implement these requirements.
We take pride in being an important asset to all the Companies which we manage by resolving their day-to-day issues, keeping their data safe and secure, increasing productivity and helping them grow to their highest potential.
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